Providence man sentenced on unemployment fraud charge

A Providence man has pleaded no contest to a charge of obtaining money under false pretenses for collecting unemployment benefits while working two jobs.

Brent Paquin, 37, was sentenced to five years' probation and ordered to pay $9,706 in restitution at a rate of no less than $168 per month.

According to a news release from Atty. Gen. Peter F. Kilmartin, Paquin was accused of failing to accurately report weekly earnings from June 2012 to April 2013, when he called into the Department of Labor and Training to authorize weekly unemployment benefits. Paquin collected benefits while employed by Nolin Electric Inc. and Capriccio Restaurant, according to the release.

The case was initiated by DLT fraud investigators and then referred to the state police. Paquin pleaded no contest Tuesday before Superior Court Magistrate Patrick Burke.